Spring Cleaning - YOGA DETOX

hI Everyone :-) SPRING IS HERE. It's the season that brings to mind … cleaning (whether it be the house, the garden or our body); and I want to remind you that one of the powerful ways to detoxify and rejuvenate in Hatha Yoga, is practising VIPARITA KARANI MUDRA.

If you’re not familiar with this particular Mudra, you’ll gain many of the benefits by practising the following supported version (Legs on the Wall position). It reverses the effects of gravity and gets the blood flowing.

For your support you'll need some thickly folded blankets (approx 15/20 c high) or a firm round bolster. You'll also need to rest your legs vertically (or nearly so) on a wall or other upright support.

Before performing the pose, determine two things about your support: its height and its distance from the wall. If you're stiffer, the support should be lower and placed farther from the wall; if you're more flexible, use a higher support that is closer to the wall. Your distance from the wall also depends on your height: if you're shorter move closer to the wall, if taller move farther from the wall. Experiment with the position of your support until you find the placement that works for you.

Start with your support about 10 to 5 to 6 inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on right end of the support, with your right side against the wall (left-handers can substitute "left" for "right" in these instructions). Exhale and, with one smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your shoulders and head lightly down onto the floor. The first few times you do this, you may ignominiously slide off the support and plop down with your buttocks on the floor. Don't get discouraged J. Try lowering the support and/or moving it slightly further off the wall until you gain some facility with this movement, then move back closer to the wall.

Your sitting bones should not be right against the wall. They should be "dripping" down into the space between the support and the wall. Check that the front of your torso gently arches from the pubis to the top of the shoulders. If the front of your torso seems flat, then you've probably slipped a bit off the support. Bend your knees, press your feet into the wall and lift your pelvis off the support a few inches, tuck the support a little higher up under your pelvis, then lower your pelvis onto the support again.

Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Don't push your chin against your sternum; instead let your sternum lift toward the chin.

After you’ve come out of the position stay on your side for a few breaths - to let your body functions return to normal.

Contraindications and Cautions
Many teachers maintain that Viparita Karani is an inversion, and as such should be avoided during menstruation. And, as with any inversion Viparita Karani should be avoided if you have serious eye problems, such as glaucoma.

ENJOY ….. :-). This position may seem to be a bit of trouble at first, but stick with it and you’ll gain the benefits.

Namaste